Navigating the Storm: Palliative Care Team Supportive Insights During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Sci242)

OUTCOMES: 1. Analyze protective and risk factors affecting registered nurses who provided end-of-life care to critically ill patients during the COVID pandemic. 2. Evaluate ways involvement of palliative care teams can improve the experience of registered nurses who provided care to critically ill patients during the COVID pandemic. INTRODUCTION: Minimal research documents the lived experience of intensive care unit (ICU) registered nurses (RNs) providing end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mixed-methods study aimed to understand the impact of end-of-life care and communication during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify protective and risk factors influencing the sample population. METHODS: Surveys were distributed in early summer 2021 following the initial wave of COVID patient influx. Responses for nurses in COVID-designated units were compared to non-COVID units. The survey included demographic questions, the ProQOL survey instrument (measuring burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress), and open-ended questions to identify protective factors and unique challenges. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. RESULTS: A total of 311 registered nurses were eligible to complete the survey across five critical care settings between May 3, 2021, and June 15, 2021. A total of 107 participants responded to the survey; however, 17 were incomplete. 90 allowed for comparative analysis. The vast majority (n= 71;78.89%) had experience caring for COVID patients. The study population consisted of COVID-designated unit RNs (n=48; 53.33%) and non-COVID designated units (n=42; 46.67%). Two-group comparison indicated significant differences for compassion (p=0.041), burnout (p=0.014), and stress subscales (p=0.002). Analysis between both groups revealed significantly lower mean compassion scores and significantly higher burnout and stress scores among those working in the COVID-designated units. Nurses in both groups were able to identify protective factors and challenges. CONCLUSION: Despite higher levels of burnout and stress and lower levels of compassion, nurses readily identified various protective factors that helped them cope with challenges. Involvement of palliative care teams, who are uniquely equipped to deal with complicated symptom management needs, communication challenges, and difficult emotions, can further improve the experience of bedside nurses providing care to patients by helping navigate the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.